Technology/Economic Summits Yielding Results

What can policymakers and practitioners do if the statistics and other metrics indicate a state, region or locality is not well positioned for the technology-based economy, but the elected leaders and economic development professionals are plodding along with traditional approaches to job creation and development? Or, on the other hand, what if there are several fragmented or isolated technology-related activities and success stories occuring that could benefit from a little political exposure and synergy?



Jump-starting tech-based economic development often requires a shift in the mindset or thinking of the economic and political stakeholders for a state or community. Tools often used to encourage this change in outlook include innovation indices or S&T report cards that present the state or region's relative performance along several metrics. Creating state science and technology councils or drafting strategic plans for tech-based economic development are other often used approaches for trying to keep public investment in science and technology on the public agenda.



A third approach is the use of large public conferences or summits to convey the importance of changing paths in economic development policy or to recognize and reward the technology-based activities already underway. Maryland, for example, has held an annual technology summit since 1998. The approach has been particularly popular in the last three months. Minnesota, Mississippi and Wisconsin present three examples:



Minnesota

Twelve hundred people attended a Summit on Minnesota’s Economy, convened by the University of Minnesota on September 20, 2000. Held in response to growing concern over the position of the state to compete in the New Economy, the summit included briefings by experts in a number of areas. The summit examined:

• How Minnesota’s economy is doing
• The key technology components that drive successful new economies 
• How Minnesota can enhance its competitiveness

At the end of the summit, a 22-member Working Group on Minnesota’s Economy was appointed by University of Minnesota President Mark Yudof. The Working Group has subsequently released a comprehensive listing of recommendations for improving the state’s economic development (see story following this article). More information on the summit is available at: http://www1.umn.edu/summit/

Mississippi

The Governor's Conference on High Technology, sponsored in part by the Mississippi Economic Council attracted more than 750 people -- nearly twice the expected turnout. Conference topics included:

• addressing the digital divide, 
• investing in university research, 
• encouraging venture capital, and 
• defining cluster-based economic development.

One goal of the early-November event was to increase communication among Mississippi's technology businesses. More specific information on the agenda is available at: http://www.msmec.com/

Wisconsin

Hosted by the University of Wisconsin, the Wisconsin Economic Summit brought together more than 850 people representing labor, business, public education, technical and post-secondary education, state agencies and existing economic development groups. The event was actually the capstone of a several-month effort of planning and 15 regional "listening sessions" held throughout the state in the weeks leading upto the summit. Several academic white papers were developed in preparation for the summit.



Governor Tommy Thompson told the audience in his keynote address that his goal is to make Wisconsin the national leader in biotechnology. His initiatives include guaranteeing access to the University of Wisconsin system for every technical college graduate with a “B” average and expanding a youth options program that allows high school juniors and seniors to take college courses.



Thompson said he also favors a tax incentives package that includes an airport hub exemption and development zones to make the state more attractive to businesses. He said he will ask the State Investment Board to invest another $50 million in venture capital and announced he will hold a venture capital summit in early 2001.



The University of Wisconsin System announced it will bolster technology transfer by expanding its Small Business Development Centers and form a joint UW-Madison/UW-Milwaukee business incubator.

A formal report of the summit will be presented to Governor Thompson in December. A website, http://www.wisconsin.edu/summit which includes links to the “white papers” will remain online for several months, a CD-ROM version of the 42 white papers will be made available, a final report distributed by Feb. 1 to participants and the public. A follow-up session will be scheduled next November.